Dean's blog

Mike Morgan Promoted for Executive Director of Information Technology

November 27, 2012

I am very pleased to announce that Mr. Michael Morgan has been promoted to the Executive Director for Information Technology. In his previous position, Mike reported to Ms. Rebecca Pousson, Executive Associate Dean. He now reports to me directly. Over the past year it has become apparent that for the School of Dentistry to continue to move forward, it is imperative that we keep a priority on technology. If you look around our environment, there is hardly any solution or new initiative that does not have a pairing with technology. Many of you have mentioned this to me so I believe there is a great appreciation for this among most of the school community. This change in Mike Morgan’s position and reporting will greatly facilitate planning and solution building for technology in coordination with other school needs and priorities.

I look forward to working with Mike in this new role. Many of you have known Mike for a long time but many of our newer School of Dentistry community members may not have an appreciation for Mike’s impact on our school. In many ways he is the school’s “Technology Father”. Below is a brief biography of Mike’s experience and role in the School of Dentistry.

Mike’s career in information technology began in 1979 when he worked as a computer programmer for Media General here in Richmond and then for a local technology company. He was hired by Drs. Jim Revere and Jim Hardigan in 1981 as a Senior Programmer/Analyst at the Dental School. Under his direction the school purchased its first computer system that year, and Mike constructed our first clinical student-patient management system. In 1983 he was promoted to Systems Analyst. In 1986, after a brief stint as a private computer consultant, Mike was offered a faculty position to returned to the school as IT Director.

During his time as IT Director at the School of Dentistry, Mike has deployed four generations of clinical information systems, developed numerous educational support applications, implemented electronic medical records and digital imaging systems, and built a comprehensive technical support organization. The result has been an IT operation that is considered a leader by its peers at VCU.

During his tenure at VCU, Mike has served on several university technology committees and other bodies, including the VCU Investment Committee and the VCU Technology Advisory Committee, where he was elected as chair in 2011. At the request of the VCU Chief Information Officer, Mike also helped manage the VCU Computer Center during a period of transition at that facility.

Mike earned a Master of Science in Information Systems from VCU and was inducted into the national Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. Mike had previously received a Bachelor of Science degree from the College of William and Mary.